Lagoon Lodge three night stay

We loved the owner of this bright yellow lodge, he really cares that you have a good time.

The hotel was undergoing some building work and so there were builders, ladders and scaffolding about but a lovely bottle of complimentary champagne was delivered to us while we were resting by the pool so we were happy! The breakfasts were delicious and we got excellent advice about where to eat in the evening. Rooms are great fun and the children had a great big family room to suit three big children.

The standard of cleaning of the rooms was excellent too.

We had no problems connecting with the sand boarding company but you do need to drive to Swakopmund (about 25mins) to meet the bus to the dunes. We were collecting from the hotel for a wet but fun Kayaking trip with Naude from Pelican Point Kayaks.

Lagoon Lodge review

Lagoon Lodge very charming in its own way, but a huge culture shock after several days in the desert and at desert lodges -this is no reflection on the lodge but more the unexpected contrast in all ways with what had come before. There was a moment when the water was cut off (again no reflection on lodge itself and the friendly extremely French, welcome)

While at Lagoon Lodge these travellers took part in a Kayaking with seals excursion and this is their feedback:Really loved the whole experience and ended up with seal pup on the kayak (see instagram hashtag sealonmykayak ! Francois excellent

Birdwatchers' paradise at Lagoon Loge

Great terrace to watch flamingos pelicans seals dolphins and the sunset. Good place for a run along the front as well.

Unfortunately our guard was down (for a couple of minutes only) because it seemed so safe and our car was broken into. The owners were extremely helpful . It seems likely that we were being watched at checkout time and visitors need to be aware of this.

Shame about the road

We stayed here to see the birds as it was billed as being right on the edge of the lagoon - but we were very disappointed to find the main (VERY busy !) road was between the lodge & the lagoon. We saw more birds on the previous days trip from Swakop to Sandwich Harbour - so we wished we had not stayed here but had an extra day (or 2) in Swakop.

The rooms were perfectly nice & we sat in the garden (too cold to go in the pool) - after having asked if there were any beds to use they produced some old-fashioned canvas deck-chairs.The lodge is run by a Frenchman, who is quite a character, and his wife.

We had a lunch-time drink at the Raft, just down the road - there were lots of sea-birds flying around - but we couldnt see them because the windows were too dirty. We also had dinner there - good fish.

Whilst we stand by our view that the birding opportunities in Walvis Bay are better than those in Swakopmund, we agree that we should have made the existence of the road more clear in our write-up, which we have now done.

Mr B & Mrs C - Glasgow

Arrived on: 11-Apr-2017 Stayed for: 3 nights

Overall:

Excellent

Location:

Excellent

Rooms:

Average

Service:

Excellent

Food:

Good

Probably best coffee in world!

Some bad news . I am slightly handicapped - cannot walk very far! The excellent Sabina at Expert Africa had informed all the accommodation in advance . All of the other 6 lodges had taken this in account . Here we had a back door entrance , a long walk with our luggage ( no help offered) , many steps , a small room and a doorway sized window/door to the tiny balcony.

Some good news . 'The coffee is good because it is the coffee we drink ' - said the patron in response to my compliment . He was warm , charming , interested in us as people and customers . He is the greatest asset of the loge. The roof top deck is a hidden asset . Superb location a road away from sea.

I loved the sea schemed decor in our room with the wardrobes as changing huts - brilliant . My wife hated it as OTT. Breakfast good with excellent pastries .

Good accommodation overlooking the Lagoon

The rooms at the Lodge all overlook the lagoon and as bird watchers we spent much of our first day walking along the 5km tarmac walkway observing at close range the flamingos and other water birds. It was nice to be able to leave our vehicle behind and just walk out of the guest house and across the road.

The staff were very friendly (as was the dog) and helpful and the room was comfortable, quiet and spacious. Breakfasts were good.

There is a nice rear garden to sit in - we didn't make use of the pool.

Lagoon Loge

The interior is arty rather than practical. Bedside lights are dreadful, too bright and shine straight in ones face. But we were comfortable and service and breakfast were excellent. The local restaurants added an extra dimension to our time in Walvis Bay. We had lunch and dinner at the Raft. We thought lunch in the bistro was better than dinner in in the very crowded restaurant. The Anchor at the Walvis Bay Yacht Club we though was easily the best food of the three restaurants we tried. The Tug at Swakopmund was good but not to the same standard as the Anchor.

Lagoon Lodge review

This European standard BnB suffers from being on the wrong side of a heavily trafficked road from the actual lagoon.

The salt mine has drastically increased production south of town so that during daylight hours there is a steady stream of large lorries plying the road less then 40 meters from the front door of the rooms. The owners are lovely, friendly people and provide conscientious cleaning and breakfast service. The pool and garden, while small, are maintained to a a very high standard as are the rooms themselves.

Comfortable beds and well stocked toiletries are nice touches.

Whilst in Walvis Bay these travellers enjoyed a kayaking excursion to Pelican Point; here's what they said about it:Interesting way to see the huge colony of seals. Started with an enjoyable drive with commentary by Jeanne Mientjes the tour leader.

The kayaking itself is not an adventure outing, very suitable for people with no experience in a kayak whatsoever. the attraction of course is to be so close as to be able to touch the frolicking young seals while observing the behavior of the adults on the beach. It was all worthwhile.

Jeanne provided suitable water protection gear with nice (but probably unnecessary!) snacks. Best of all she sent us all pictures she snapped of ourselves in the kayaks with the seals.

They also enjoyed a guided day trip to Sandwich Harbour; here's what they said about that:Our tour was led by Bruno Nebar, the world famous wildlife biologist and rhino breeder. We were unaware of his fame until almost the end of the trip but by then we were not surprised given the knowledge he flooded us with over the course of the day.

Our trip was very fun, as it was a small group of just 6 of us, including two Expert Africa employees, and the whole group was pleasant and appreciative of the overall experience. From the morning drive to Sandwich Harbor racing against the tide to follow the beach we never had a dull moment. Bruno shared so much information about plants, history, wildlife, weather, local mining industry, that it took me 6 pages of notes at the end of the day just to capture the highlights.

We had some difficulties getting up the dunes, Bruno had to take several runs at the main exit route but between his attitude and everyone else on the trip we all ended up enjoying ourselves immensely. Bruno's demeanor actually helped keep me calm, despite my tendency to fear of heights and car sickness, and in hindsight it was probably a much scarier outing then I realized while participating in it.